Explore 育 through the growth of children and plants, and through education. Learn each reading in a whole word.

The idea

育 has eight strokes. 育つ（そだつ） means to grow; 育てる（そだてる） means to raise or grow something. In 教育（きょういく） and 体育（たいいく）, 育 is read いく. Follow the linked stroke diagram.

Patterns to compare
WordReadingExample
育つそだつChildren grow quickly.
育てるそだてるI grow vegetables in the garden.
教育きょういくEducation is important.
体育たいいくWe learn about physical education at school.

Examples

  • 子こどもは早はやく育そだちます。Children grow quickly.
  • 庭にわで野菜やさいを育そだてています。I grow vegetables in the garden.
  • 姉あねは子こどもを育そだてています。My sister is raising a child.
  • 教育きょういくはとても大切たいせつです。Education is important.
  • 苗なえがよく育そだちました。The seedlings grew well.
  • 学校がっこうで体育たいいくについて学まなびます。We learn about physical education at school.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

育つ describes what grows, while 育てる takes the person or thing raised with を. Do not read 育 as そだ in the compound 教育.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 育つ in hiragana.

    Show answer or example answer

    そだつ

    育つ is そだつ: it describes the subject growing, as in children growing quickly.

  2. Write the reading of 教育 in hiragana.

    Show answer or example answer

    きょういく

    教育 is きょういく, meaning education; 育 has the reading いく in this compound.

  3. Choose the missing kanji: 子どもを＿てます。［育／教］

    Show answer or example answer

    育

    育 completes 育てます, the polite form of 育てる. 子どもを marks the child being raised.

Use it today

Write 育 using the stroke diagram. Cover the table, read 育つ and 教育, and make a sentence with 育てる.